Cattle-guard.



D.-A. SIMS.

CATTLE GUARD.

APPLICATION FILED.F|E8. 25, 1913.

1,147,561. Patentd July 20, 1915.

, iinir a I CATTLE-GUARD. 1

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 25,1913. Seria1No. 75 o,q2 1. 5,

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, DAVIDA. SIMS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fort Smith, in the county of Sebastian and State of Arkansas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Cattle-Guards, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to cattle guards for railway crossings; and it has for its object the provision of a tie structure which will be arranged at the immediate crossing of the railway track and which will embody guard elements on the respective ties and the relative association of said elements whereby to positively engage with the leg of the animal and prevent the animal from making the desired forward step.

IVith this and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure l is a top plan view of a portion of a track structure showing the application of the guard thereto; Fig. 2 is a section on line 2- -2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section on line 33 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the ties.

In the construction of the guard, it is desirable to provide at the immediate crossing of the rail structure four or more rail supporting ties 1, which are provided with downwardly inclined end surfaces 2, an intermediate, downwardly inclined surface 3 and rail supporting portions or blocks 4 whose upper surfaces are horizontally disposed, as shown. Each of the surfaces 3 has secured thereto guard elements 5, while the surfaces 2 have similar elements 6 secured thereto and lying in the same general plane with the elements 5, being spaced therefrom so as to provide intervening rail spaces 7 to permit of an operative association of the companion rails A with the seat forming blocks Each tie is provided along its relatively long vertical surface 8 with a brace strip 9. This strip increases in thickness in an upward direction and it is shown to include surfaces 10, which occupy the same angle as the surfaces 2 and 3 of the tie.

The elements 5 and 6 of each tie are substantially identically constructed, each being preferably formed of wood of an unequal thickness throughout. In other words, each of said elements is of an increased thickness toward the brace strip 9 of the tieand as illustrated said portion of increased thickness is extended slightly beyond the brace strip 9, as illustrated at 11. The portions 12 which are of relatively reduced thickness, protrude beyond the relatively short side 13 of the tie. The portions 12 are associated with the adjacent surface 13 of'the tie whereby to define therewith a conduit 14 for the PatentedJuly 20, 1915;

reception of the heel of the animals leg.

Studs 15 protrude from the corners of the upper portion of the elements5 and6 and as shown the spurs of the elements of one tie are extended substantially at an obtuse angle toward the upper surfaces of the elements 5 and 6 of the adjacent tie, whereby to be exposed for positive engagement with the knee of the animal. In this manner said spurs cooperate with the portions 12 of the preceding elements 5 and 6 in engaging with the leg of the animal in such a manner as will positively prevent the advance step. Each of the strips 9 is also provided with an an gularly-disposed surface 10 which terminates at its upper end in the direction of the adjacent studs 15, so that after the hoof of the animal is released from the portions 12 of adjacent guard elements the hoof may be brought to bear against the surface 10to facilitate freeing the hoof as is obviously seen. I

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention, as claimed.

v Having thus described my invention, what I claim is A cattle guard for railway crossings comprising a plurality of spaced ties having inclined upper surfaces extending in the same direction, inclined guard elements secured on said inclined surfaces of the ties and 'projecting beyond opposite sides of the ties, the

upper ends of the said guard elements pro and downwardly inclined studs projecting In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature from the lower cforners of the guard elein presence of two Witnesses.

ments, the studs 0 each guard element being I spaced from the lower end of the next adja- DAVID SIMS cent guard element and arranged at an angle Witnesses:

to the plane of the upper surface of the next EDNA COUNTERS,

adjacent guard element. J ACK MOMURTREY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Eatents, Washington, D. C. 

